Utility Fleet

Mo. City Purchases Surplus Bucket Truck

Hannibal Board of Public Works (BPW) acquired its latest bucket truck from a federal auction site for surplus equipment.

“We have needed a truck of this height, but at the time couldn’t afford one,” said Bob Stevenson, general manager of BPW.

The pre-owned truck cost the fleet $71,000 rather than $500,000, according to Stevenson.

The most recent addition provides an extra 25 feet in jib height than the rest of the bucket trucks within the fleet, making its working height reach 95 feet, according to a report from the Hannibal Courier-Post.

The larger truck is specifically used for maintaining one 6-mile transmission line with poles ranging from 70 to 110 feet. Prior to procuring the vehicle, the only option the city had to work on the transmission lines would be to rent a vehicle from the neighboring City of Columbia, Mo.

“The chassis has 30,000 miles so it is a pretty lightly used vehicle,” said Stevenson.

Currently, the vehicle is going through inspection and Stevenson hopes it will be put to use by next month.